A rare 19th century Italian sculpture by the Florentine sculptor Fortunato GALLI, 1830 -1918, and is among the very best of his figurative work. It is 3ft high and features a young girl seated on a rushwork chair attempting to pass a thread through he eye of a needle. The subject is a challenging one to create, given the delicacy of the structures involved, but it is entirely successful and movingly beautiful. Every strand of rushwork is perfectly carved in marble, as is every seat stretcher, every rolling lock of her hair and every fold of her dress with its patterned hem. The marble base bears Galli's signature and the title inscription "FARE INSEGNA FARE", translating as "practice makes perfect". This work by Galli is both remarkable in its execution and breathtaking in its beauty, and is representative of the best work of the decorative Florentine sculptors of the nineteenth century.

A figurative 56 inch high sculpture by Fortunato Galli sold recently at Christies in New York, for $122,000; lot 488, 19th April 2012.